The Serpent and The Dragon
by Sunnie Shine
Summary: slightly AU sixth year. Instead of having to kill Dumbledore, Draco is given a different task that is linked to the boy who lived. Will follow canon to come extent. This will be a Draco/voldemort romance.
1. Chapter 1

This story came to me a while ago and I've been working on it trying to figure out where I wanted it to go. Now I've got the first chapter written I've decided to post it for you, this will be a Lord Voldemort/Draco Malfoy pairing, so if you don't like don't read. I'm undecided on how far through HPB I will take this but it will mostly follow cannon except for Draco's task. What this task will be I will let you read to find out, it is this first chapter.

Disclaimer: story rights are not mine.

Chapter 1

Draco stood outside the door to his father's office, not that his father was in it.

Since the events at the ministry, the Dark Lord had taken up residence at Malfoy Manor.

Right now, he had been summoned into his Lord's presence. He had no idea why, or what his Lord wanted, but he had been called and he had to attend.

Taking a deep breath, he opened the door and entered the study.

"Ah, Draco, do come in and close the door behind you." A figure stepped out from a shadowy corner and Draco lowered his eyes to the ground out of fear and respect for his master.

He felt his Lord approach. "I have something I need you to do for me Draco, something of the utmost importance."

"My Lord?" Draco asked, not quite understanding.

There was no answer except for a hand placed on his shoulder and he was guided over to the settee.

"Look at me Draco," he was asked. "I cannot have a conversation with you if you are staring at your lap.

As Draco looked up, he was surprised by the man's appearance. The Dark Lord, a man he had grown up fearing, could only be described as being gorgeous with his pale skin, long dark hair, and green eyes. To be honest, there was a slight resemblance between the Dark Lord and Potter.

Draco suddenly realised he was staring and quickly averted his eyes again, but the Dark Lord chuckled.

"My, my Draco, you're blushing. What has come over you? I thought the Malfoys could always control their emotions?"

"I…s-sorry m-my Lord, it's just…" he trailed off, unsure how to phrase it. Would he be insulted to hear he looked like Potter, or would he prefer the simple truth?

The Dark Lord raised his eyebrows.

"You look like Potter," he finally blurted out and hid his face in his hands, not wanting to see his Lord's reaction.

After a few minutes of silence, Draco looked up to see the Dark Lord studying him intently.

The intensity of that gaze made Draco blush again and feel uncomfortable. He now understood what his father had said about being under the Dark Lord's scrutiny. "I'm sorry my Lord, I didn't mean to insult you."

The Dark Lord turned his gaze away from Draco, who saw a look of regret pass across his face. "No Draco, I was not insulted. Under normal circumstances I would be proud you noticed, but for now you must keep everything I tell you a secret.

"As I said before I need you to do something, but I need to explain some things to you so you understand why I am asking you to do this."

"Of course my Lord," Draco said, wondering what this could all be about. The Dark Lord was highly secretive, and did not often reveal his secrets to his followers.

"Not many of my followers know about my past, your grandparents' generation knew some of my history as we went to school together, but I am a half-blood known as Tom Marvolo Riddle, heir to Salazar Slytherin. During my youth, I was in love with a pure-blood witch, we spent many years together when we left Hogwarts and eventually she fell pregnant."

"What happened my Lord? No one ever knew you had an heir, I'm sure Potter would have found out, he's full of tit-bits of information about you."

The Dark Lord chuckled, "Yes, I'll bet he is. I had no idea what happened to my child, at that time, it was seen as improper for a woman, especially so in the wizarding world, to have a child out of wedlock, and her parents took her away. The last I had heard, she had died in childbirth and my child was given up for adoption.

There have been many rumours of my transition to the dark side, but Claudia's death was the final reason. My dislike of muggles stemmed from my father abandoning my mother, but Claudia's parents were muggle-born and I felt they were responsible for her death, not getting her the help she needed."

"So you felt that muggles and muggle-borns were detrimental to the development and health of wizards and witches. I still don't see what this has to do with Potter though."

"In time, Draco. Now as I said, my child was put up for adoption, and in the muggle world, so I had no idea if it was a girl or a boy, much less what they were called. I had no idea how to start looking. It was not until a few months ago that I became aware of who my child was and what had happened to them."

Draco sat there in silence; a part of him was putting things together, thinking he knew where this would be leading. "How did you find out my Lord?"

"During the battle at the ministry and my duel with Dumbledore I possessed Harry Potter. While in his body I had access to his mind, and encountered many of his memories, some even he wasn't aware of. Did you know that Lily Potter was adopted?"

"Really? How did you figure that out?" Draco asked not caring how impertinent he sounded. The Dark Lord was baring his soul to him so it could not get any worse.

"The mind is like a sponge Draco, it absorbs everything it can, but we do not recall everything. Memories are locked away where we cannot get access to them unless special circumstances determine it. While in Harry's mind, I came across a couple of memories I believe he has no recollection of. One was of Lily Potter telling her son how lucky he was to be born into such a special, loving family, her own birth parents had given her up and she was raised by muggles. The other memory was of Potter's aunt, he could hear her ranting about how he was just as unnatural as her adoptive freak of a sister.

"Have you ever met someone and know you share a connection with them? That's what I felt when I possessed Harry, and it was more than the connection that was formed when I tried to kill him, this was something that was there even before that eventful Halloween."

The cogs in Draco's mind were turning, putting everything together. The connection with Potter...Potter's memories...the information about Potter's mother. Finally the Knut dropped. "She's your child isn't she? That would make Potter your grandson, and that's the connection you feel. What will you do now, considering Potter's position?"

The Dark Lord regarded him with a smirk on his face. "Ah Draco, that is where you come in, this is what your task is going to be. I need you to befriend Harry, bring him to our side and show him that we are not as the light make us out to be. Only reveal his heritage when the time is right." Draco was shocked, make friends with Potter? Like that would ever happen, oh, he would try, but it would be Potter making things difficult.

"I will try my Lord, but Potter and his friends won't make things easy."

"See that you do, and…" he place a hand on Draco's leg and slowly ran it up to the top. "I'll see that you are rewarded."

Draco could not help releasing a shiver of excitement, both at those words and the touch.

"You may want to let it spread that you have an important task to do for me, as one of my marked ones; that should attract Harry's attention."

"You're going to mark me?" With your…"

"No Draco, you will not take the Dark Mark, not under Albus Dumbledore's watch, but I will mark you in my own way." He took hold of Draco's left arm and rolled up his left sleeve. In the place where he would leave the Dark Mark, he placed a gentle kiss on the unblemished, alabaster skin.

Again, Draco released a shiver of excitement. The Dark Lord's lips were cool, but surprisingly soft and the touch left promises of things to come.


	2. Chapter 2

_Disclaimer: All owned by J K Rowling_

Draco and his mother were out shopping in Diagon Alley for school supplies when they encountered Potter.

They were in Madam Malkin's purchasing new robes for school at the time. He had gotten into an argument with his mother about doing his shopping on his own as he had hoped to pick something up for the Dark Lord, and to help him think through ways to make friends with Potter. His mother had disagreed, and Madam Malkin had agreed with her, while sticking hers pins into his arms accidentally. He had stormed away in a huff, and it was while he was looking at himself in a mirror, assessing the quality of the robes against his figure, when he noticed Potter, Weasley and Granger staring at his reflection.

"If you're wondering what the smell is mother, a mudblood just walked in." Insulting Potter's friends was probably not a good idea if he wanted to become friends with the boy, but old habits die hard. Besides, Potter would be suspicious if he completely changed his ways,

"I don't think there's any need for language like that, and I don't want wands drawn in my shop either." Madam Malkin directed at Potter and Weasley who had drawn theirs as she scuttled out from the fitting room.

Draco could not help staring at Potter in much the same way he had the Dark Lord. They had the same attraction as one another, and he could not help comparing them. They both had the same hair colour, although Potter's hair was naturally messy. They both had bright green eyes, no doubt passed from father to daughter to son, appropriate for the heirs of Slytherin though. Potter had yet to acquire the height the Dark Lord had. Potter, he noticed, was the same height as his mother while the Dark Lord was slightly taller than Weasley. Unlike the Dark Lord, Potter had a tan and well defined muscles, no doubt due to quidditch.

There was no doubting the two men were related, even though everyone said Potter was the spitting image of his father. There was something Freudian about the whole concept, Lily Potter marrying a man who resembled her own father, even if she did not know what her father looked like.

He turned his attention to the remaining two thirds of the golden trio and noticed Granger was sporting a lovely bruise around her eye. "Yeah, like you'd dare do magic out of school," he taunted them as they had not put away their wands. "Who blacked your eye Granger? I want to send them flowers."

"That's quite enough, Madam – please -" Madam Malkin said turning back towards where his mother was, obviously having enough of their squabbling.

Draco watched as his mother gracefully strode out, easily negotiating the various clothes racks in her way. "Put those away," she said coldly to the two wizards. "If you attack my son again, I shall ensure that it is the last thing you ever do." Draco could not help subconsciously squirming, whenever he had been attacked by Potter and his band of followers, it was usually because he had done something to Potter first. That would definitely have to stop if he was to gain Potter's trust, not to mention the Dark Lord would not approve of him antagonising his grandson.

He turned his attention back on Potter, who had a look of loathing on his face as he glared at Narcissa. "Really? Going to get a few Death Eater pals to do us in, are you?"

Now there was an idea. Maybe if he arranged for the Death Eaters to kidnap Potter, he could save the day by rescuing him and they would become the best of friends. He mentally shook himself, like that would ever work, Potter was too closely guarded for anyone to kidnap him, and even if that did happen and he was able to rescue him Potter would never be his best friend because of it. No, he needed a better idea to befriend him.

Madam Malkin squeaked behind him, "Really, you shouldn't accuse – dangerous thing to say – wands away please!" Some people could be so blind sometimes, it had been reported Lucius Malfoy had been arrested for Death Eater activity at the Ministry of Magic, but it was obvious the Malfoy name still held some regard to the wizarding public.

"I see that being Dumbledore's favourite has given you a false sense of security, Harry Potter. But Dumbledore won't always be there to protect you." His mother smiled a sickeningly sweet smile that meant she knew something that others did not.

Draco frowned, what had the Dark Lord told his mother that would warrant such a smile. Potter seemed to take in it his stride though as he replied.

"Wow ... look at that ... he's not here now! So why not have a go? They might be able to find you a double cell in Azkaban with your loser of a husband!"

Draco could not decide which he was more upset over, the attack against his father, or the slight against his mother, with his father currently lock behinds Azkaban's walls he could only make any difference if he defended his mother. He stepped forward in an attempt to intimidate Potter, put tripped over the hem of the robes which were slightly long on him. "Don't you dare talk to my mother like that Potter!"

Narcissa placed a restraining hand on his shoulders, her thin fingers digging into his flesh. "It's all right, Draco, I expect Potter will be reunited with dear Sirius before I am reunited with Lucius." Draco hoped not, if that happened then a) his father would be in Azkaban for a long time and b) he would be unable to complete his mission for the Dark Lord.

If it was at all possible, Potter's wand had risen higher after what his mother had said. "Harry, no!" Granger moaned as she tried to reason with him. "Think ... you mustn't ... you'll be in such trouble ..."

Draco seemed to think that Granger had a good idea and was too preoccupied to notice Madam Malkin approaching, that was until he felt a pin imbedding itself in his skin. "I think this left sleeve could come up a little bit more, dear, let me just -"

"Ouch! Watch where you're putting your pins, woman! Mother – I don't think I want these anymore -" He pulled the robes over his head and threw them on to the floor at Madam Malkin's feet.

"You're right Draco, now that I know the kind of scum that shops here ... we'll do better at Twilfitt and Tattings."

An hour later Draco had managed to escape from his mother when she got talking with Mrs Bulstrode, and had slipped away unnoticed from the chattering women. He was very careful as he passed Weasleys Wizard Wheezes, making sure he was not seen, it would not do for one of the light sided supporters to see him out there alone, they could fear he would be up to something, especially with his father in Azkaban. From there he was even more cautious as he slipped into Knockturn Alley and made his way towards Borgin and Burkes. Knowing his father's dealings with the proprietors in the past, they would have something that he was looking for, both for the Dark Lord and for Potter.

The door bell tinkled as he opened it and Mr Borgin came hurrying up to the counter to see who was there. "Ah, young Mr Malfoy, what can I do for you today, it's been a while since you father was last here," he said in that oily voice of his. "Perhaps I can interest you in the Hand of Glory this time. You were most partial to it in your last visit."

"Maybe later," Draco murmured looking around, his eyes drawn to a cabinet behind him. With a jolt he realised that this must be the second vanishing cabinet to the one Montague had got stuck in during the last school term, the older boy had said he could hear things going on in the school and the shop while he had been stuck in it. This could be a good way to sneak out of Hogwarts to see the Dark Lord. It would be his long term goal he decided and he could work on ways to befriend Potter in between. The only problem was that the one at school was currently broken and he had no idea how he could fix it.

"I need your help Borgin, I have been gifted with an important mission from our mutual friend, and it involves the use of the cabinet you have over there. I am in possession of its brother, but it is broken, and I need both to be in full working order. This one is working is it not?" When Borgin nodded, Draco continued. "Then I need to know how it works and how to fix it. Do you know how to how to fix it?"

"Possibly," Borgin said in a tone that said that he knew but was unwilling to admit it. "I'll need to see it, though. Why don't you bring it into the shop?"

Borgin was an imbecile Draco decided, did he really think he could carry something around in the open air like that, considering that he was not yet of age. "I can't, it's got to stay put. I just need you to tell me how to do it."

Borgin licked his lips, "Well, without seeing it, I must say it will be a very difficult job, perhaps impossible. I couldn't guarantee anything."

Draco dug into his pocket for something. The Dark Lord had given it to him, saying that if anyone on their side gave him problems with something just to show them this and they would do whatever he asked of them. "No? Perhaps this will make you more confident." It was the Slytherin family ring, and was imbibed with several compulsion charms. "Tell anyone and there will be retribution." He added on impulse hoping it would scare the man even further, "You know Fenrir Greyback? He's a family friends, he'll be dropping in from time to time to make sure you're giving the problem your full attention."

"There will be no need for-"

"I'll decide that." He noticed a necklace by the counter that would protect the wearer from nearly all Dark curses and thought it could be useful to give to Potter, Harry he reminded himself. Now that he knew Harry's true heritage it was not right just calling him Potter anymore. He slipped five galleons onto the counter, knowing Borgin would not object, not with Slytherin's ring still in sight. "We'll, I'd better be off. And don't forget to keep that one safe, I'll need it."

"Perhaps you'd like to take it now?"

Draco's eyes flashed as he stared at the man. "No, of course I wouldn't, you stupid little man, how would I look carrying that down the street? Just don't sell it."

"Of course not ... sir." Borgin said bowing to him.

"Not a word to anyone, Borgin, and that includes my mother, understand?" Draco said as he slipped the ring back into his pocket and wrapped his cloak back around himself ready to leave.

"Naturally, naturally."

Draco left feeling quite proud of what he had accomplished and made his way back down to Diagon Alley where his mother was still engrossed in her conversation, so she had never realised that Draco had disappeared. He could not wait to see the Dark Lord next.

(A.N, all the speech that appears in this chapter comes direct from Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, Chapter 6: Draco's Detour)


	3. Chapter 3

_Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine_

**Chapter 3**

Draco was sat back on the sofa in his father's study the night before he was to return to Hogwarts. He was watching Tom as he poured over his plans for the war.

Ever since he had bumped into Harry in Madam Malkins', he had been unable to get his fellow student out of his mind. Something told him that this mission would not be easy. "How important is it that I make friends with Harry?" he asked looking at the top of the Dark Lord's head.

Tom looked up from the report that he had been immersed in. "I thought I had said how important it was, the fate of the war does rest on this, why do you ask?"

Draco detailed his meeting with Harry in the robe shop. "It might not have been so bad had Granger and Weasley been with him, they are going to be the main problem; with them around I will not be able to get Harry alone to listen to me. I also may have made some progress had my mother not interfered. She's angry with father after the events that got himself arrested and she is taking it out on everyone else, and Harry got the brunt of it for being partially responsible."

Tom stood up from his chair and walked over to sit next to Draco. "It is more important than ever that you can make friends with Harry, get him to trust you, and bring him over to our side, as soon as possible. Severus has recently brought me some intriguing information that could hinder our plans."

"What information?" Draco asked, suddenly alert. Until now he had had no idea what side of the war his head of house had been on; he was loyal to Dumbledore , but his Slytherins were his utmost priority.

"Apparently your esteemed headmaster has been searching for ways of destroying me; during his search he stumbled across a dark artefact with a very powerful curse placed upon it and was injured because of it. While Severus was able to prevent the curse from spreading, it is only a matter of time before he succumbs to it and dies."

"But isn't that what you've always wanted though, Dumbledore defeated. With him dead, no one will be able to stand in the way of your plans. How will this affect things?" Draco asked.

"You're a smart lad Draco, but it's Dumbledore's intentions that I'm worried about. With his own death imminent he will be planning on telling Harry enough information that he can about ways to defeat me, especially now that he has hired Horace Slughorn to teach potions again."

"Potions?" Draco asked wondering why they needed a new potions professor. "What about Snape?"

"Ah, Severus has been granted his dream, he is to be the defence teacher for this year." A wistful look seemed to pass across Tom's face at the mention of the defence position.

"What does this new teacher know that you fear Dumbledore finding out about?" Draco was starting to feel very confused about what the Dark Lord was going on about and to where all this was leading.

"It wouldn't surprise me if Dumbledore doesn't already know about what Slughorn told me, he'll just be looking to confirm his suspicions, and he will use Harry to do this. Tell me Draco, have you ever heard of a horcrux?"

Draco shook his head, a look of puzzlement passing across his features. He had never heard of the term before and wondered what it could be. Even in his explorations of the Malfoy family library, which housed many dark and dangerous books, there had been no mention of a horcrux or what it was, knowing the Dark Lord however, it was bound to be something dark, dangerous or both. "I have no idea."

"A horcrux is a piece of your soul encased within an artefact of your choosing, some people would choose an item that means something to them, others may choose an obscure artefact that no one would consider that that is what it is being used for. So for as long as the horcrus remains intact, you cannot die."

Draco thought this over, it seemed to make sense and fit in with everything he had heard over the years concerning the Dark Lord, how his followers never believed him to be truly gone like the rest of the wizarding world believed. "That's how you did it then? Survived I mean, when you tried to kill Harry. Your body was destroyed, but you couldn't die because you had a horcrux."

"I did not have just a horcrux at that time, Draco, I had six. And I had every intention of making another with the Potter's death's. You see, with the act of killing someone, you irreparably split your soul and that split is what you use to make your horcrux. However, because that failed, my ever faithful Nagini became the proud receptacle for my soul. Who else can you trust than a fellow serpent, my dragon."

Draco could pick up on the subtleties Tom was saying. He may have had six, but some had been destroyed, even with the creation of Nagini, and did not have the number he hoped to achieved. Something suddenly clicked in his mind, "Is Harry one? I mean he can speak parsletongue, and he has that connection with you. I remember father telling me about it."

The Dark Lord looked pensive at what Draco had said. "I hadn't thought about it that way. With the connection not being established until last year, it never crossed my mind. I suppose it became active when I used Harry's blood in my rebirthing," he mused aloud. "His parsletongue could be explained genetically and just never manifested itself in his mother."

"Do you think Dumbledore suspects Harry is a horcrux?" Draco asked, not really understanding what Tom had been going on about before.

"I wouldn't put it past him. If he has his own death planned out now, another thing Severus told me was that Dumbledore asked, no told him, he wanted Severus to kill him, to put him out of his misery should it come down to that stage. So, what's to stop him from planning Harry's, sacrifice him for the greater good, so to speak."

The two were silent for a long moment, the things the esteemed headmaster would do in the name of the Greater Good passed through their thoughts. Tom, who had been at school during Grindewald's reign of terror, knew what atrocities could be committed in the name of the Greater Good. He did not want to see it happen to those he loved, and while he did not love Harry yet, he felt a connection with him, they were of the same blood after all. And as for Draco...

Tom pulled Draco close and placed a soft kiss on his lips. "Promise me you will try your best, but don't do anything that will put Harry or yourself in any danger. I want both of you to come back to me at the end of the year, earlier if you can manage it."

"I will try." Draco whispered.

_A/N I finally got round to typing this chapter up, it's been sat in my notepad for ages. _

_Does anyone have any requests on who they want to see Harry paired up with in this story, I'm open to any couplings, but obviously it can't be Draco. _


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